Ravenclaw
introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here) |head=*Filius Flitwick *Rowena Ravenclaw (formerly) |ghost=The Grey Lady |common room=Ravenclaw Tower |members=*Luna Lovegood *Sybill Trelawney *Marcus Belby *Cho Chang *Myrtle Warren *Padma Patil *Terry Boot *Michael Corner *Roger Davies *Anthony Goldstein *Marietta Edgecombe *Robert Hilliard *Uric the Oddball *Gilderoy Lockhart *Penelope Clearwater *Lisa Turpin *Isobel MacDougal *Mandy Brocklehurst *Nanette Desford *Maria Glossop *Helena Ravenclaw *Filius Flitwick *Millicent Bagnold *Quirinus Quirrell *Garrick Ollivander *Sue Li *S. Fawcett *Ignatia Wildsmith }} Ravenclaw is one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, founded by Rowena Ravenclaw. Members of this house are characterised by their wit, learning, and wisdom. Its house colours are blue and bronze, and its symbol is an eagle. The house ghost, who in life was the daughter of the house's founder Rowena Ravenclaw, is the Grey Lady . Ravenclaw roughly corresponds with the element of airThe Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling; the House colours blue and bronze were chosen to represent the sky and eagle feathers respectively, both having much to do with air . Traits , founder of Ravenclaw|left]] Ravenclaw House prizes learning, wisdom, wit, and intellect in its members. Thus, many Ravenclaws tend to be academically motivated and talented students. Ravenclaws also pride themselves in being original in their ideas, and methods. It's not unusual to find Ravenclaw students practising especially different types of magic that other houses might shun. Hermione Granger, an extremely intelligent witch and the top student in her year, was sorted into Gryffindor, though she admitted that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered placing her in Ravenclaw. Students in Ravenclaw can also be quirky and possess unusual intellectual interests. Ravenclaws usually accept and celebrate these eccentrics. Reputation According to Slytherin prefect Gemma Farley, Ravenclaws are so competitive when it comes to academic success that they are known to back stab each other, and likely other students, in order to get top marks. While Hufflepuff prefect Gabriel Truman noted that they are so proud of the success of famous members, such as Laverne de Montmorency, that they claim any intelligent wizard as a member of Ravenclaw House, such as Bridget Wenlock, who was, in fact a Hufflepuff. Another drawback to Ravenclaws is a propensity towards eccentricity; one example of this is early Ravenclaw Uric the Oddball. Ravenclaw House appears to have a little rivalry with the other houses, except in Quidditch (in which case it is most fiercely competitive with Hufflepuff). Harry Potter believed that they tended to side with Gryffindor in its rivalry with Slytherin, as did Hufflepuff house. However, during the 1994 Triwizard Tournament, most Ravenclaws supported Hufflepuff Champion Cedric Diggory over Harry. They believed that Harry had in fact cheated his way into being a champion and that the true Hogwarts champion was Cedric. Many Ravenclaws (such as Cho Chang) joined Dumbledore's Army and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts along with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. They rouse at almost at the exact moment as the Hufflepuffs and turned their wands upon Pansy Parkinson and Slytherin House in Harry Potter's defence, when the former wished to hand Harry over to Lord Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters. Common Room The Ravenclaw common room is in one of the castle's towers and is wide and circular. You have to climb a tight spiral staircase to get there. It has graceful arched windows, and the walls are hung with blue and bronze silks. The domed ceiling is painted with stars, which are echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. Tables, chairs, and bookcases cover the expanse of the floor, and a white-marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sits next to the door that leads to the dormitories above. Harry Potter entered the common room in 1998 while searching for clues to the location of one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Unlike the other common rooms in the school, a logical riddle given by a bronze eagle-shaped knocker must be answered to enter. This could prove troublesome as anyone with enough intellect could intrude into the dormitory, as is shown in 1998 where Professor McGonagall had no trouble entering by answering the riddle correctly (though she was a "hatstall" between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw). However, Hermione stated in her first year when figuring out the complicated riddle, beneath the trapdoor, that most wizards and witches do not have much sense of logic, which might be something that Ravenclaw noticed herself and decided to use clever riddles instead of passwords, as they are safer than some words. Head of House Rowena Ravenclaw WWHP.jpg|Rowena Ravenclaw (10th century) 20100111183429!Flitwick HBPoster Lighter.png|Filius Flitwick The head of house before and during Harry Potter's time was Filius Flitwick. It is unknown when he became head of house, but it is known that he was teaching Charms in 1971. It is also unknown who he succeeded. Known Ravenclaws Behind the scenes with the Ravenclaw banners raised]] * In the books, Ravenclaw colours are blue and bronze; however, in the films they were changed to blue and silver. Likewise, Ravenclaw's symbol is an eagle in the books and a raven in the films (though in the last film an eagle does appear as the Ravenclaw mascot). *Eagles are a symbol for a broader vision and strength of mind and heart. *It is revealed in that the Sorting Hat had originally considered putting Hermione Granger in Ravenclaw, due to her intelligence, but ultimately decided on Gryffindor. *Basil Fronsac was likely a Ravenclaw. *Gilderoy Lockhart was a Ravenclaw. This can be seen on his Quidditch robes from a picture of his past while at Hogwarts, and was later confirmed by J. K. Rowling on . *In the Romanian version, the Ravenclaw house is changed to "Ochi-de-șoim", literally "Eye-of-Hawk", possibly because ravens are better known as signs of death or danger, and the members of the house have a broader way of thinking, being smart and witty, thus the name of the house. *In the original Italian edition of first three books, the Ravenclaw's house name was changed in Pecoranera (black sheep). Subsequently, the name was changed in Corvonero (Black crow or Black raven). *In the Brazilian version, the Ravenclaw house is changed to "Corvinal". As the word "raven" means "corvo" in Portuguese. *In the French version, Ravenclaw house is changed to "Serdaigle" which means in English "Eagle's claw". *The Ravenclaw Common Room does not appear in , but it is still possible to glimpse the stairwell inside the Tower. The Common Room's door can also be glimpsed. This is the same for . *Minerva McGonagall was a hatstall, having approximately equal Ravenclaw and Gryffindor traits; the Hat finally Sorted her into Gryffindor. Hermione Granger was also considered being Sorted into Ravenclaw but Gryffindor was chosen once again. Filius Flitwick was in the same situation at the time of his Sorting, but in his case the Hat decided on Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor. *Ravenclaw is the only House from which no head students have been named. *Isolt Sayre, founder of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, wanted to be a Ravenclaw as a child, but never got to attend Hogwarts. Her choice of blue as a colour for the Ilvermorny school uniform was inspired by Ravenclaw. Appearances * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *'' '' * See also *Rowena Ravenclaw *Helena Ravenclaw *Ravenclaw Tower *Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem *Ravenclaw Quidditch team *Slytherin *Gryffindor *Hufflepuff *Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Notes and references de:Ravenclaw es:Ravenclaw fr:Serdaigle pl:Ravenclaw ru:Когтевран fi:Korpinkynsi nl:Ravenklauw pt:Corvinal Category:Ravenclaw House Category:Hogwarts Houses Category:Rowena Ravenclaw